Maybach

Daimler and Aston Martin to Collaborate on High-End Maybachs and Lagondas

Taking on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley is no mean feat. In fact few are up to the task – not even Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler. The latter has tried with limited success to turn a profit on the Maybach brand, but the latest reports indicate that it's preparing to take a different approach.

Because Daimler is used to building cars in large volumes, it has been negotiating with Aston Martin for several years now on a new partnership that could see the British automaker – which has more expertise in small-batch production – build the next generation of Maybachs. Production would, according to reports, take place at Aston Martin's headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire in England, pictured above.

What would Aston get in return? The technology – including chassis, engines and more – on which to base its relaunched Lagonda brand, which is part of the company's portfolio but has not been used in decades. The first Lagonda luxury sedan could be built alongside the next Maybach, followed by a high-end crossover/utility vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.

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Tags: aston martin, aston martin lagonda, gaydon, lagonda, maybach, mercedes-benz

Maybach 62 Guard

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Mercedes-Benz's upmarket counterpart Maybach has announced the availability of a new armored version of its long-wheelbase limousine. The Maybach 62 Guard incorporates 900 lbs of extra armor reinforcement from steel and Kevlar, and is claimed to still be able to accelerate to highway speeds from a standstill in 5.7 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

Because the Maybach was engineered from the beginning to accommodate the reinforced body panels, the twin-turbo V12 engine, brakes and suspension have required no further modification.

Gallery: 2011 Maybach

Tags: daimler, guard, maybach, maybach 62, maybach 62 guard, maybach guard

Detroit Auto Show: Maybach on the Bubble

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said this week that the company will decide by year-end the fate of its super-luxury Maybach division.

The line of cars, meant to compete against the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, has seen its business wither during the economic downturn. "The success or failure of Maybach hardly shows up on our results, but it is something I want to have a decision on by year-end. And everything is on the table," said Zetsche. "Killing it off? "Everything is on the table," Zetsche repeated.

The Financial Times recently reported that Daimler was in talks with British automaker Aston Martin about developing future Maybachs. Such ventures are also among the possibilities.

Maybachs, which start at $366,000, according to Edmunds.com, have been popular with some pro athletes and hip hop moguls. Jay-Z and Russell Simmons are among owners. Jay Leno owns one as well. Golfing great Nick Faldo has been among the brand pitchmen.

The current lineup of Maybachs includes the Maybach 57 and 57S, Maybach 62 and 62S, and the Landaulet.
The Maybach name first hit the boulevards in 1919, but was discontinued when World War Two broke out. Daimler-Benz ought what was left of the company in 1960.

The current-day Maybach made its debut at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show at the height of the dot-com economy, and went on sale globally shortly thereafter.

Last year, Maybach sold 63 cars in the U.S.

Tags: detroit auto show 2011, Dieter Zetsche, maybach, North American International Auto Show

Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio has its Big Opening

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

You remember the Xenatec Maybach project, don't you? Who could forget: the German coachbuilder set out, with Daimler's approval, to turn the Maybach 57 S limousine into a two-door coupe. Now they've received additional funding (to the tune of €70 million) from a Saudi firm called AutoKingdom, and the finished product is entering production.

Dubbed the Cruiserio, the special Maybach made its debut at Daimler headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The coupe retains most of the parts of the saloon, including its 600+ horsepower twin-turbocharged V12 engine, but modifies much of the bodywork and swaps four doors for two larger ones.

Only 100 examples will be made with a €675,000 ($894k) price tag. But with a waiting list extending 9-12 months, if you want this particular example, it's available via JamesList from the Saudi capital of Riyadh for # € 715,000 (approximately $940k).

Gallery: Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio

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Tags: AutoKingdom, Cruiserio, Maybach, Maybach Cruiserio, Xenatec, Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio

"Queequeq - The Maybach Sculpture" by Julian Schnabel

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Art

Luxury automaker Maybach has undertaken a series of sponsorship initiatives in the world of art. The program revolves around the work of one Julian Schnabel, an American artist and filmmaker, and was announced during Art Basel week in Miami, where Schnabel unveiled a piece entitled "Queequeq – The Maybach Sculpture" and auctioned off several of his works to benefit relief efforts still underway in Haiti.

The sculpture is inspired by "Moby Dick" and named after the harpoon thrower in the classic Melville novel, but that's only the start of the initiative. Schnabel also directed a film about Maybach, and an artistic development initiative will be undertaken by the artist and the automaker to mentor up-and-coming talent. Finally Maybach also announced a partnership with the Louvre in Paris whereby a rotating exhibit of sculptures will be displayed in the museum's glass pyramid.

Gallery: Queequeq – The Maybach Sculpture by Julian Schnabel

Tags: art basel, julian schnabel, louvre, maybach, moby dick, queequeq, queequeq - the maybach sculpture, sculpture, the louvre

Xenatec Maybach 57 S Coupe Ready to Order

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Compared with the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, Maybach hasn't exactly been a runaway success. But those few fans of the über-Benz brand may be familiar with a company by the name of Xenatec.

This past May, Xenatec announced a partnership with Maybach to convert their four-door limousine into a two-door coupe, and the results have now been revealed. In order to carry out the conversion, Xenatec hired Fredrink Burchhardt, the same designer who penned the Maybach Exelero coupe. Together they chopped down the roof, replaced four doors with two, modified the bodywork, raked the windshields, and modified the interior. The same 612-horsepower twin-turbo V12 carries over from the top-spec Maybach, and buyers can specify a glass roof, 20 or 21-inch wheels and even armor plating.

Only 100 examples will be made, each built to order and fetching 675,000 euros apiece.

Gallery: Maybach 57 S Coupe by Xenatec

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Tags: maybach, maybach 57 s, maybach coupe, xenatec, xenatech

New Life for Maybach?

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Disheartened by talk that Maybach could be given the axe? Then we may have some good news for you. Although as yet unconfirmed, reports indicate that parent company Daimler may be planning to keep its most prestigious marque around a while longer, with several new models planned to make it so.

If they prove accurate, a slew of new Maybachs could be based on the upcoming new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Among them could be replacements for the current 57 and 62 models, along with a "four-door coupe" in the same mold as the Mercedes CLS, and potentially a four-door convertible – a body-style not seen for decades but often rumored to be in the works at Maybach.

Motivation is expected to come from even more powerful versions of the current twin-turbo V12, along with a new transmission with as many as nine speeds and a possible hybrid variant.

Gallery: 2011 Maybach

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Tags: daimler, maybach, maybach 57, maybach 62

Maybach Wheels out a Line of Sunglasses

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

We don't want to say it, but we must: Maybach is probably doing better with its lifestyle accessories than it is with its cars. And with some undeniably attractive options on its designer menu, you don't need to go far in search of an explanation. The line has been joined by a range of ten spectacle frames and eight different sunglasses, produced under license by German optics company IVKO.

Details on the hand-made glasses are as lavish as those found inside a Maybach 62, with piano-lacquered wood, natural horn, carbon fiber and leather-trimmed arms, titanium, 18-carat white, yellow, and rose gold frames. Lenses come from those quality glassmakers over at Zeiss.

For something more bespoke you can give your shades the coachbuilt treatment with Maybach's Individual Collection, which "will cater to various special requests and customization choices and features 18K carat gold details." Sadly, there still won't be enough room here to add a refrigerator or humidor, but you might find space for rhinos and emus to make the contributions. You'll be able to purchase them come October, when the ready-to-wear range lands at retail.

Gallery: Maybach Eyewear

Tags: maybach, maybach eyewear, maybach sunglasses, spectacles, sunglasses

Order Your Own Maybach Exelero on JamesList

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Did you miss your chance to buy the original Maybach Exelero when it sold for nearly $8 million? Not enticed by the upcoming Xenatech Maybach Coupe? Someone in Switzerland would like to help. And all it'll cost you is €550,000.

Posted on JamesList currently is a listing to order your own replica of the original Maybach Exelero – a high-speed concept car commissioned by Fulda tires a few years back when Daimler re-launched the Maybach brand – based on the Dodge Viper. Buyers can opt for whatever colors they want, and shipping is included. Which is a good thing, for half a million euros.

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Tags: dodge viper, exelero, james list, james spotting, maybach, maybach exelero

Maybach 57S Coupe by Xenatech

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Three marques sit at the very top of the luxury segment: Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Maybach. Each is owned by one of Germany's carmaking powerhouses: Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, respectively. Each makes limousines of obscene luxury and status, with price tags to match. But only the first two make two-door coupe versions as well, leaving Maybach with nothing to compete with the Brooklands and Phantom Coupe.

Enter Xenatech. The German engineering firm has teamed up with Daimler to produce a limited edition Maybach coupe to take on its British counterparts. Based on the Maybach 57S, the Xenatech coupe retains the 5.7-meter length and 6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. But with less weight to move around, the 612 horsepower hustle the big coupe up to 100 kilometers/hour (62 mph) in 5 seconds flat. Don't like it too much, though: with only 100 examples slated for production, each is expected to fetch €650,000, or about $800,000 in American funds... assuming it makes it over the sea to American shores in the first place.

Gallery: Maybach 57 S Coupe by Xenatec

Tags: maybach, maybach 57, maybach 57 s, maybach coupe, xenatec, xenatech

Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The gulf between perception and reality is often enough to swallow entire countries whole. Take China, for example. The images many still conjure up in their heads when thinking about the Asian giant might come down to squalid shanty towns oppressed by communist overlords. But with the free market taking a greater hold with each passing day, the People's Republic is quickly emerging as a vital market for purveyors of luxury goods, including high-end automobiles. Sure, the average peasant may be able to afford little more than a rickety bicycle, but with the world's largest population numbering over a billion people, even the top fraction of the socio-economic strata can overshadow entire nations.

Against such a backdrop, it should come as no great surprise that the world's premium automakers scrambled to the Chinese capital this year with a wide array of exotic and luxury automobiles. In fact the cars making their world debuts at this year's Beijing Motor Show were enough on their own to outshine the last major international exposition in Manhattan. Follow the jump to see what all the fuss was about.

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Maybach Announces Revised Range for 2011

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Looking for a new German-engineered luxury limousine? Better hop a plane to Beijing, because that's where they've all gathered this year. Audi used the occasion of the Beijing Motor Show to release its new long-wheelbase A8 L flagship, Bentley brought out a special-edition Flying Spur for the Chinese market, Volkswagen released the refreshed Phaeton, and now Maybach has released updates for its range at the show as well.

Upgraded cosmetically, luxuriously and mechanically for 2011, the new Maybach 57, 57S, 62 and 62S are likely the last renditions of the super-luxe Benzes before they're discontinued in a few years. But before they are, the range benefits from a revised V12 (in 542 or 630-horsepower versions) with reduced emissions and fuel consumption. The grille, hood, tail-lights and side mirrors have been reshaped to reduce wind noise. And the first-class interior benefits from reclining seats, a rear partition, 19" LCD monitor (from which occupants can view video feeds from all around the vehicle), an electro-chromatic roof panel, a perfume atomizer and even available Swarovski crystals embedded in the seat piping.

Gallery: 2011 Maybach

Tags: 2010 beijing motor show, 2011 maybach, 2011 maybach 57, 2011 maybach 57 s, 2011 maybach 62, 2011 maybach 62 s, beijing 2010, beijing motor show, china, maybach, Maybach 57, maybach 57 s, Maybach 62, Maybach 62 S

Daimler To Phase Out Maybach Brand

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Since its launch eight years ago, Maybach has largely been characterized as a failed venture. The ultra-premium counterpart to Mercedes-Benz never reached the sales figures which its rivals Bentley (part of the Volkswagen group) and Rolls-Royce (owned by BMW) have enjoyed in the superstrata of the luxury car market. That's largely come down its lackluster product, which appears to all to be little more than a gussied-up Mercedes S-Class, available in 57 and 62-decimeter lengths.

In the face of even further lagging sales, however, reports now indicate that Daimler is preparing to wind down the brand and phase it out entirely. But not before the line-up gets a mild refresh. After that, Mercedes hopes to fill the niche with more exclusive versions of the S-Class, which to our ears sounds more or less the same as where it stands now, only with a different hood ornament.

Gallery: Maybach Landaulet

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Tags: daimler, maybach, maybach 57, maybach 62, mercedes, mercedes-benz, MercedesBenz

Maybach 57 by Project Kahn

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler didn't exactly strike gold with the launch of the Maybach brand. The Rolls-Royce and Bentley rival failed to distinguish itself from the competition (or from its three-pointed-star brethren for that matter) and justify its enormous price tag. Project Kahn would like to help, though.

The British tuning house has a wealth of experience customizing everything from Range Rovers to Aston Martins and everything in between, including the occasional Rolls and Bentley. Their latest offering centers on the Maybach 57, upgrading on the standard specification with custom 22-inch wheels, smoked tail-lamps, tinted privacy glass and an interior that can be fully trimmed to order. The proverbial sky's the limit when it comes to the options, and on the price, so for yet another reason, don't expect to see one on a street near you any time soon.

Gallery: Project Kahn Maybach 57

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Tags: kahn, kahn maybach, KahnMaybach, maybach, maybach 57, Maybach57, project kahn, ProjectKahn

Ultra-Rare 1938 Maybach Cabriolet for Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Maybach is well known today as a modern ultra-luxury marque, having been revived by Mercedes-Benz in 1997; even more exclusive however are the original models made between 1921-1941. Less than 2,000 Maybachs were built during this period, of which fewer than 150 survive today, all in the tight grip of collectors. An ultra-rare 1938 Maybach SW 38 Cabriolet with coachwork by Spohn of Ravensburg (above) has now surfaced for sale in Germany via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for €690,000, or about $1 million. The elegant 5-passenger convertible, finished in two-tone red and aubergine, was exhibited at the 1938 Berlin motor show and sold right away to her first owner, Baron von Mylke. At the the end of the war the car was allocated to the Chinese military mission in Berlin and was acquired many years later later by a German architect who commissioned a meticulous restoration.

Tags: Berlin, Cabriolet, classic cars, ClassicCars, convertible, Germany, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz